Epidemiology |
Relative importance of environmental factors (exposure to sun, smoking, diet) in the pathogenesis of SLE |
Incidence, prevalence, and severity of SLE in various European populations? Is there a north-to-south gradient? |
Pathogenesis |
Genetic factors for disease susceptibility and severity |
Effector mechanisms and repair of tissue injury |
Early diagnosis—primary prevention |
Identification of patients at higher risk for SLE |
Feasibility of primary prevention |
Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in high-risk patients (eg, aspirin, statins, others) |
Initial diagnostic work-up and monitoring |
Minimum diagnostic work-up for suspected SLE |
Work-up for disease limited to a single organ (eg, skin, blood, others) |
Diagnosis—prognosis |
Diagnostic criteria with improved sensitivity and specificity |
Classification criteria to identify subpopulations of SLE with distinct pathogenetic, clinical, and laboratory features and response to therapy |
Diagnostic algorithms for neuropsychiatric lupus |
Treatment |
Indications and optimal targets for autologous stem-cell therapy in SLE |
Major indications for biological therapies in SLE (B cell depletion, inhibition of B cell differentiation, costimulation blockade, toleragens) |
Optimum management of membranous nephropathy |
Options for resistant disease involving major and non-major organs |
Indications, efficacy, toxicity of combined immunosuppressive and anticoagulant therapy for patients with antiphospholipid syndrome and SLE |
Flares |
Mechanisms of flare: residual vs sub-clinical disease vs de novo flare |
Biomarkers for residual disease and for early relapse |
Optimal management of flares |
Comorbidities |
Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease |
Primary prevention and screening for osteoporosis |
Strategies to increase compliance with therapy and preventive medicine |
Strategies to decrease morbidity and mortality from infection |
Validation of the Charlson Comorbidity score in SLE trials for optimal patient stratification |
Neonatal lupus |
Epidemiology, risk factors and management |
Pregnancy |
Impact of assisted fertilisation on disease activity |
Effect of maternal immunosuppressive treatment on offspring long-term outcome |
Antiphospholipid antibodies |
Determine whether individuals with persistently positive antiphospholipid antibodies should receive prophylaxis (and type of) for thrombosis or pregnancy-related type morbidity |
Recommended treatment for pregnant patients with APS who had pregnancy loss on low-dose aspirin and heparin |
Paediatric and adolescent SLE |
Epidemiology, optimal management and long-term outcome |
Geriatric lupus |
Epidemiology, optimal management and long-term outcome |